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"Engrossing, beautiful, and deeply imaginative, Out of Darkness, Shining Light is a novel that lends voice to those who appeared only as footnotes in history, yet whose final, brave act of loyalty and respect changed the course of it. An incredible and important book by a masterful writer." ​-Yaa Gyasi, author of Homegoing

"This is how we carried out of Africa the poor broken body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, David Livingstone, so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own land." So begins Petina Gappah´s powerful novel of exploration and adventure in nineteenth-century Africa-the captivating story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary Dr. Livingstone´s body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there. Narrated by Halima, the doctor´s sharp-tongued cook, and Jacob Wainwright, a rigidly pious freed slave, this is a story that encompasses all of the hypocrisy of slavery and colonization-the hypocrisy at the core of the human heart-while celebrating resilience, loyalty, and love.

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A Lit Hub, Millions, and Buzzfeed Most Anticipated Book

"Petina Gappah lists at least 30 books in the bibliography of her scrupulously researched new novel. This being the case, one imagines the author might well be dealing with subject matter that leaves precious little room for her to reinvent, to present us with a new view of a man whose story has been so thoroughly picked over. However, Gappah has chosen an ingenious way to approach Livingstone´s life: She focuses on his death...After all, the real heroes of this carefully crafted novel are Halima and Wainwright and the other Africans history has hitherto condemned to suffer in silence. It is to the novel´s credit that after 150 years we can now hear their voices."
-The New York Times Book Review

"David Livingstone, the 19th-century Scottish missionary who set out to find the source of the Nile, casts a long shadow over East Africa, and Gappah explores his legacy in her new novel. Narrated by Halima, Livingstone´s cook and slave, and Jacob, a pious freed slave, as Livingstone´s corpse is taken to the coast of Africa, the story offers a fresh look at the enduring history of colonialism."
-The New York Times, 17 New Books to Watch For in September

"Based on Livingstone´s journals and narrated by his gossipy cook and a freedman with a messiah complex, this textured novel illuminates the agonies of colonialism and blind loyalty-Conrad´s heart of darkness in reverse."
-O, the Oprah Magazine

"Perhaps no story was as ripe for the Wide Sargasso Sea treatment (the revision of a classic by marginalized voices) as the tale of missionary David Livingstone´s death in Africa. In contrasting styles, the Zimbabwean novelist lets two characters describe their trek across Africa with Livingstone´s body, beautifully complicating the narrative."
-Vulture, Best and Biggest Books to Read This Fall

"A rich, vivid, and addictive book filled with memorably drawn characters. This is a humane, riveting, epic novel that spotlights marginalized historical voices."
-Kirkus, starred

"Gappah decolonizes the legend of Dr. Livingstone by turning the tale inside out, giving voice to those who are overlooked in the official narratives. The result is an indictment of the legacy of slavery and colonialism that is also an engrossing adventure story."
-Library Journal, starred

"Riveting ... a deeply layered exploration of courage, sorrow, and resilience, culminating in a revelatory quest and an entracing vision."
-Booklist

"Readers who enjoy expedition travelogues or smartly drawn characters will appreciate Gappah´s winning novel."
-Publishers Weekly

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